


Round and Round

by shellface



Category: ONEUS (Band)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Dongju third-wheeling even when not physically present, Friends to Lovers, IKEA Shopping, M/M, Non-stop bickering, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:14:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28260717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shellface/pseuds/shellface
Summary: Hwanwoong and Keonhee are moving in together. That is, if they can get through IKEA shopping and still come out friends...
Relationships: Lee Keonhee/Yeo Hwanwoong
Comments: 6
Kudos: 47





	Round and Round

**Author's Note:**

  * For [toomoon (jjjat3am)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jjjat3am/gifts).



> Happy holidays! This is a gift fic as part of the WeMoon Secret Santa fest. I tried to honour my giftee's prompt, but there may be more bickering than they were anticipating... 
> 
> Thanks to T for all the help. You know how much I need your encouragement to write anything and not devolve into an anxious mess. <3
> 
> Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy it!

Hwanwoong stares up at the imposing blue and yellow building in front of them. He shoulders his backpack. “Right,” he swallows. “Let’s do this.”

Keonhee snorts through a mouthful of cereal bar. “You’re making this sound a lot more dramatic than it needs to, mate.” He chomps down on the last of his chocolate, not even bothering to swallow as he says: “We’re just buying furniture.”

“Furniture we then have to drag with us on a bus, because  _ someone _ got his car towed -”

“Hey! It didn’t get towed, okay, I just parked it in the wrong place, but I’m sorting it…” Keonhee trails off, arms folded. He glowers at his best friend. “We could have waited until I’d got it back!”

“What, and sleep on the floor in an unfurnished apartment? Do you want people to think we’re squatting?”

Keonhee snorts. “Like you can’t sleep anywhere.”

It is Hwanwoong’s turn to glare at him. While it is true he does seem to have an almost unnatural ability to sleep any time, anywhere, that is not the point. “I’d still like a bed!”

“You have a bed. You’re just too scared to ask your old landlord if you can take it from the house.”

“It’s a shit one, anyway,” Hwanwoong mutters.

“Yeah, yeah.” Keonhee ruffles the top of his head patronisingly. “You keep telling yourself that.” He darts out of the way before Hwanwoong can grab his wrist. “Let’s go in, I’m hungry.”

As if on cue, his stomach rumbles. Hwanwoong stares at him in disbelief. “You literally just ate a chocolate bar.”

“It was mostly granola, and that doesn’t count as food.” Keonhee tugs him by the arm towards the door. “Come oooooooon.”

Hwanwoong is forced to let his taller friend drag him bodily into the store, unable to even complain as Keonhee pushes him into the lift, in between a woman pushing a trolley with a huge, wardrobe-shaped box, and a pair of squabbling toddlers. 

He grits his teeth for the whole of the thirty second trip upwards.

As they step out onto the second floor (the children’s screams still ringing in Hwanwoong’s ears), Keonhee immediately bounds towards the restaurant.

“Meatballs!” He exclaims happily.

Hwanwoong trudges behind him, rather less enthusiastic. “You’re paying,” he calls, “because it’s your fault we have to take the bus.”

Keonhee doesn’t miss a beat. “Please. You can’t even drive.”

Hwanwoong - rather unfortunately - has no real retort, so he is reduced to blustering unnecessarily. “Yeah, well, your face can’t drive!”

His best friend just raises an eyebrow, already filling his tray with cake and bread rolls. “Really?”

“Okay, maybe that wasn’t my best comeback - ”

“I don’t even think it counts as a comeback,” Keonhee says mildly, before turning to the server with a giant smile, and reeling off his list of food. He turns to Hwanwoong. “What do you want?”

He shrugs. “The same, I guess.”

***

They ignore the direction of the arrows painted on the floor, in favour of the cuddly toys. 

“This is Dongju’s dream,” Hwanwoong observes, as he regards the vast array of stuffed animals with interest. “Or at least, this is the aesthetic he’s aiming for, if his bedroom is anything to go by.”

“It is sometimes hard to see him for all of the dolls,” Keonhee agrees. “Not that the hyungs help, what with them enabling him.”

“Hey, look - Seoho would love this,” Hwanwoong says, pulling his phone out of his pocket. He snaps a photo. “It’s perfectly Pepe sized.”

“Perfectly  _ you _ sized,” Keonhee says, without missing a beat. He doesn’t even look up from his phone. 

Hwanwoong elbows him in the chest. “I am not that small!”

Keonhee finishes his text, thrusting his phone back into his jeans pocket. “I’m sorry, were you trying to hit me? Your tiny elbows didn’t have enough force behind them to - ouch, no, okay, I’m sorry, I’m sorry - “ 

He shrieks as Hwanwoong launches himself at him - playfully - cowering as if he is about to get beaten up. He rolls his eyes. “Can you not cause a scene?”

“Can you not jump on me?” Keonhee parries sarcastically.

Hwanwoong sighs. They really aren’t getting very far with this house shopping. “Come on. We do actually have to leave this shop with at least some of the things on our list.”

***

“This one’s nice,” Keonhee says, as he stops in front of a mahogany-effect wardrobe with in-built shelving. He turns the label over to check the price, and grimaces. “Or...not.”

Hwanwoong peers over his shoulder at the price. “I mean, sure, if you don’t want to eat for a month. Do you even have that many clothes? You’re not Youngjo.”

“I mean, I was thinking we might as well share it,” Keonhee shrugs. “Not this one, obviously. But maybe a cheaper one…”

He pivots to a cheaper looking unit, painted a glossy white. He turns the price ticket over, and shows it to Hwanwoong. “See? This one’s better.”

Hwanwoong eyes it sceptically. “I guess.”

“It’s a decent size, too,” Keonhee adds, not even listening to Hwanwoong. “There’s even space for jumpers.” He opens one of the doors. “Even I could fit in that!”

Hwanwoong spies a chance to get him back for the height comments. “Get in it,” he challenges, smirking. “Prove it’s big enough to fit you.”

Keonhee does not even look embarrassed at the thought. “Fine.” He smirks back. “Be prepared to eat your words.”

He shrugs noncommittally. “Go on then.”

Keonhee scans the room for any employees, before quickly ducking into the wardrobe. He stretches out into his full height triumphantly. 

“See! Told you I was right - ”

The rest of his words are muffled as Hwanwoong slams the door in his face. Quick as a flash, he thrusts the toilet brush he has been holding through the handles, trapping Keonhee.

Keonhee’s screech is deafening. Hwanwoong’s grin widens.

“You absolute bastard, let me out, let me out!” His voice gets higher and higher, the last words almost a squeak. “It’s dark in here!” He adds, as if that will soften Hwanwoong.

Hwanwoong pretends to consider it for a moment. 

“Nah,” he says finally, “I think I’ll leave you in there.”

His best friend’s frightened squawk attracts the attention of the couple perusing dressing tables in the corner. They look up, suspicious. He smiles at them brightly.

“Hwanwoong!” Keonhee shouts. “Let me out!”

***

Keonhee darts him with another wounded look as they meander into soft furnishings. “You could say sorry, you know.”

Hwanwoong smirks to himself. “Sorry for what?” He says innocently. “It’s not my fault you got trapped in the wardrobe.”

“You know I’m scared of the dark!”

“It can’t have been that dark in there, surely?” He scoffs, chuckling internally. “Maybe if you weren’t such a big baby about everything, you wouldn’t have caused such a scene.”

“I - you - this was all your fault!” Keonhee blusters. “And now everyone’s looking at us!”

They are getting a few strange looks, it is true, but that is more to do with the giant, stuffed stegosaurus Keonhee is carrying under one arm than anything else. 

“I let you out before anyone noticed anything,” Hwanwoong assures him, pausing by the curtain display. “What colour curtains do you want?”

“So you admit it - ”

“What colour?” Hwanwoong repeats loudly, ignoring Keonhee’s infuriated look. “Come on, the quicker we do this, the quicker we get to bedding.”

He can feel his best friend seething silently, and Hwanwoong tries very hard not to show how much he enjoys the fact that he can push him this far, and he will never walk away. Their friendship might not be as codependent as Youngjo and Geonhak’s, but they are just as close.

They gravitate towards each other in a way Hwanwoong doesn’t feel with anyone else. He is never so comfortable as he is with Keonhee, even if he is torturing him.

“Blue,” Keonhee says eventually. “It’ll wash well.”

“How often do you wash curtains?”

Keonhee sighs dramatically. “I don’t know! But it’s something to take into consideration, isn’t it - ”

“I guess, but it wouldn’t be the first thing I’d think of - ”

“Ugh,” Keonhee groans, pushing past him. The stegosaurus’ tail whacks him in the face as he passes. “I’m making the decision,” he calls, grabbing a random package of curtains. “Let’s move on. I’m done arguing with you.”

Hwanwoong knows this is patently false, but follows obediently anyway.

***

They manage not to fight about bedding, mostly because they have separate bedrooms, and can therefore choose their own. Hwanwoong holds back from pointing out that Keonhee’s pick is actually for children, because it will be far funnier when one of his sisters notices it.

Crockery, however, is another matter. 

“I like this one,” Keonhee says firmly, thrusting a green-patterned plate at him. 

Hwanwoong purses his lips disapprovingly. “It’s expensive.”

“It’s basically the same price as the one you want!”

“Yes, but the one I want is nicer and comes with matching bowls.” He pushes the plate in the other man’s hand back towards him. “It’s better value.”

“But it’s ugly,” Keonhee protests. 

“You picked the curtains,” Hwanwoong says, lifting the box of plates off the shelf and placing them in their trolley. “I get to pick these.”

Their trolley is a mess, far from the pile of useful household items he was hoping they’d obtain, and contains a motley collection of furnishings that do not match in any way, several cheap gadgets that Keonhee ‘had’ to try, and an assortment of stationery neither of them need, but thought would be useful.  Keonhee is still clutching his stegosaurus. It is making Hwanwoong want a stuffed toy of his own, but that would mean going all the way back to the top floor, and he does not have the energy for that.

Keonhee wrinkles his nose, but does not say anything more. 

Hwanwoong pushes the trolley towards the glassware, bored now, and hoping to finish this soon so he can have a nap. He is so absorbed in looking at a series of rainbow highballs, that he almost doesn’t notice Keonhee slowly lifting his choice of plates out of the trolley.

“What do you think of these - hey!” He slams the glass he was holding down, ready to grab onto the box with all of the strength in his body - but Keonhee is too quick. With a smirk that makes Hwanwoong want to punch him - he lifts it onto the highest shelf.

“You can get it if you want,” he says sweetly. 

Hwanwoong is aware he has been outsmarted, but he is still too annoyed to give in. “I’ll just go get another box,” he threatens, but Keonhee, still flashing that smug smirk, takes both handles of the trolley and skids through the aisle into lighting.

“Come back! We still need glasses!”

***

“Dongju wants to know if he can have dinner with us tonight.” Keonhee announces, as Hwanwoong dumps a container of fairy lights into their trolley.

“Yeah? Well, did you tell him we don’t even have a table to eat off yet?”

“He said we can eat on the floor.”

Hwanwoong rolls his eyes. “Of course he did.” He turns to eye up a large reading lamp, unwilling to look at Keonhee as he says, ‘Why can’t he eat in his own house?”

“He’s had an argument with Dongmyeong, or something. I don’t know.”

He sighs. “What about this time? Whose turn it is to use the glitter eyeshadow palette?”

Keonhee laughs. “I don’t know, but he said specifically to tell you you’re not allowed to ask what he did, or take Dongmyeong’s side. He just wants food and sympathy.”

“I’m sure he does,” Hwanwoong mutters, thinking better of the lamp. He crouches on the floor, peering at the boxes of identical lampshades instead of meeting his best friend’s eyes. He doesn’t want to talk about this. He doesn’t want Dongju coming over tonight.

“I told him that we have to build all the furniture we’re buying today, and he said he’d bring Geonhak, and maybe Youngjo if he can convince him.” Keonhee shrugs. “I mean, we could use their help.”

“Dongju certainly won’t be of any help. He’ll just sit on the sofa, directing Geonhak.” Hwanwoong hates how petty he sounds, but he was really hoping it would just be the two of them alone in their flat tonight. At least for the first night.

“Do you not want Dongju to come over?” Keonhee asks jokingly.

Hwanwoong drops his phone. He’s not used to Keonhee hitting the nail on the head so quickly. 

“I’m just tired and grumpy, that’s all.”

He can practically sense Keonhee's shit-eating grin. “Isn’t that every day?”

Hwanwoong turns, still sitting on his haunches, to give his best friend a withering look. He reaches to grab his phone, but only succeeds in pushing it under the shelf.

“Why did you tell Dongju he couldn’t live with us?” Keonhee asks suddenly, as Hwanwoong roots around under the display for his dropped phone. Hwanwoong stills, his fingers closing on empty air. He swallows.

Slowly, he reaches for his phone, and gently pulls his arm out of the empty space. His jumper sleeve is covered in dust, but he does not look at it.

“What do you mean?” He asks carefully, wondering if he can play this off as a misunderstanding.

He can feel Keonhee’s knowing gaze on him, but he refuses to meet his friend’s eyes. “He mentioned it when we were texting. He says you told him we weren’t looking to live with anyone else, and that our place doesn’t have space for three people, but you know it does.” Hwanwoong cringes internally. “That’s not like you, Woong. Why’d you do that?”

The last two sentences are so calm and kind, that he can’t help but feel even more an asshole than he already does. There  _ is  _ space for Dongju, if they really tried. Neither of them is a fan of sharing a room, but they would, if it came to it, and the living room is a fairly decent size. And it’s not that he doesn’t love the other boy - he often thinks of him as the younger brother he never had.

But to admit the reason why he lied would be to admit something he’s not ready to face up to.

“You know how many plushies that man owns,” he says, forcing a grin. “Do you really want to spend the rest of your life drowning in Disney characters?”

He can see Keonhee is  _ almost _ convinced. His best friend’s head is tilted in the way that means he is considering an amusing retort. 

Instead, his expression turns puzzled. “Yeah, but you were just talking about how you’re worried about rent money. Dongju would help with that.”

Hwanwoong knows he’s stuck. Keonhee knows him too well to ever think he wouldn’t put saving money first unless he had a really good reason. 

“Woong?” Keonhee laughs. “Seriously - is something going on here? Did you two have a falling out?”

He was really, really hoping he wouldn’t be pushed into a corner like this. He takes a deep breath: Keonhee still does not know. He can brazen his way out of this.

“Of course not! I just figured we’d already sorted things, and there wasn’t time to fit Dongju in. And you know he loves having Geonhak at his beck and call.”

“Woong, I can tell when you’re lying.” Keonhee folds his arms, expression suspicious. “What’s  _ really  _ going on?”

He can feel the tips of his ears turning red at being caught out in a lie. “Nothing,” he mumbles. 

It is no use. “Tell me,” Keonhee says stubbornly, “or I’ll start shouting.”

He narrows his eyes. “That’s a  _ bit  _ of an overreaction, mate.”

Keonhee opens his mouth threateningly. Hwanwoong gestures frantically. “Okay, okay!”

Hwanwoong sighs. “I just...didn’t want to live with anyone else, alright? That’s all there is to it.”

Keonhee closes his mouth, partly in surprise. “Oh.”

“Yeah,” he says heavily, taking hold of the trolley handles once more. “No big deal. So can we move on?”

His heart is thudding in his ears. He feels like he’s been caught out.

“But why just me?” Keonhee presses.

“We’re best friends, aren’t we?”

“Well, yeah, but…”

“But what?” Hwanwoong snaps, tense now.

“I don’t know,” Keonhee says quietly. “I just figured you’d rather live with more people than just me. You always seem happier when we’re not alone.”

He is not happy, just slightly more relaxed, and less afraid of what he might say.

“Don’t be daft,” he says brusquely. He needs the conversation to end, now, because they are in difficult territory. “I always have a good time with you.”

There is a maddeningly long pause. Hwanwoong briefly considers running into the toilets and refusing to come out.

“I like you, you know,” Keonhee says eventually. “And I don’t just mean as a friend. I thought you knew. I thought that was what was making you uncomfortable.”

Hwanwoong feels his mouth open in shock. He tries to close it, but just feels his lips flapping like a fish’s.

“Oh,” he manages lamely. “I see.”

But of course, he doesn’t see, because his mind is spinning at this revelation. He had absolutely no inkling - not even one tiny suspicion - that Keonhee liked him too.

“I’ve fucked it, haven’t I?” Keonhee sighs. “I’m sorry, it kind of came out. Look, let’s forget it - ”

“No,” Hwanwoong says slowly. “I don’t want to forget it.”

Keonhee blinks at him. “What?” He eyes him worriedly. “If you’re going to use this against me somehow, that’s not - ”

“I’m not going to use it against you!” Hwanwoong says indignantly. “God, I’m not  _ that  _ mean. Is that really what you think of me?”

“I tell you I like you, and all I get is ‘oh’?!” Keonhee retorts, incensed. “What the hell am I supposed to think?”

“Well, if you gave me more than a second to think about it, maybe I’d have more to say!”

“What is there to say if you don’t like me back!” Keonhee’s raised voice is drawing attention, but neither of them notice.

“I never said I didn’t like you back!”

Hwanwoong freezes. Keonhee stares at him, his own mouth flopping open.

“Oops,” Hwanwoong mumbles. 

Keonhee splutters. “ _ Oops? _ ”

“It's not how I meant to say it!”

Hwanwoong is too embarrassed to look at his best friend, but equally, he cannot face the intrigued stares of confused passers by. “Maybe we should do this somewhere more private.”

“I think we’re past that now,” Keonhee says drily.

Hwanwoong supposes he is right. “Well...what do we do now?”

“Finish shopping, I guess.” Keonhee shrugs. “And then maybe...talk about it at home? 

Hwanwoong likes the sound of that. He smiles. 

“I think we can manage that.”


End file.
